February 20, 2015 by alunparry
New Song Release: Until Midnight Tonight Only – Listen Now
DON’T WAIT. This song disappears at midnight on the 20th February 2015 as it will feature on my next album.
Don’t hesitate with this. It’s a newly recorded song. But it’s here for a limited time only. It’s a sneak preview of the enitire song and it will vanish at midnight. So don’t delay. Listen now or you’ll miss it.
The song is set in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. The fascist general Franco had overthrown the democratically elected government of Spain.
This is the true story of Spain’s forced adoption scandal, which continued for half a century, even until the 1980s.
The Church ran the maternity hospitals, with nuns as midwives.
Franco decided that the children of revolutionaries would be sold off to fascist families instead.
Their mothers had their newborns snatched from them and told they were dead.
The practice outlived Franco as those the Church regarded as undesirable would be lied to and have their newborn babies given to others.
They were handed mass cards, and went through fake burials, and mourned at empty graves.
Yet all the while, their children were alive elsewhere.
The song was cowritten by Gabi Monk of The Good Intentions. Gabi saw the story on a news report and it touched her deeply. She asked me if I’d join her in writing a song about it, and so we worked together to create this.
Gabi also sings on the record.
DON’T WAIT. This song disappears at midnight on the 20th February 2015 as it will feature on my next album.
liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/exhibitions/child-migrants">Kai - February 20, 2015 @ 12:32 pm
Hi Alun,
great song and production too, it’s a subject matter that needed airing.
NOTE THE FOLLOWING EXHIBTION AT ALBERT DOCK:
“On their own: Britain’s child migrants”
An exhibition at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, it is linked to the subject matter of the above song. I’d urge people to visit this exhibition before October 2015. I haven’t seen it yet myself, as I want to review it.
Either click on the next link, if you can’t, then copy/paste into your web-browser address box.
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/exhibitions/child-migrants/
It’s about Britain’s child migrants who were sent to Australia and Canada, often without parents permission or knowledge often told their children were dead. It went on for most of the twentieth century. It only ended in the 1970s, the poorest of working class kids often only temporarily in children’s homes were sent to British commonwealth nations Australia and Canada, most never returned and lost touch with their British parents and families, monumentally tragic and an indictment of the British society.
Kai
alunparry - February 20, 2015 @ 12:36 pm
Kai
The exhibition sounds really great. I’ll go and check it out.
I have a vague memory of this coming out, but didn’t know as much as you’ve said, or that it happened in the 70’s too. I’ll tell Gabi about it too as I’m sure she’d be interested in it.
If you want to check out Gabi’s Americana band The Good Intentions, I’d recommend them lots. Go to http://www.thegoodintentions.co.uk/
Al
Holger - February 20, 2015 @ 7:21 pm
But how, Alun? How can I listen to it?
Do I have to download something?
Steve Rigby - February 20, 2015 @ 9:11 pm
Hi Alun
This is a great song and talks of a subject I was unaware of. The subject matter is harrowing and shows action’s done in the name of religion and political ideology. Interesting stuff and sounded good too with a good production and arrangement.
All the best Steve
John Pitchford - February 20, 2015 @ 10:13 pm
Good song on a topic not many people are too aware of
alunparry - February 21, 2015 @ 12:04 am
Hi Holger
I’ve just got back home and saw your message. The song was at the bottom of the text. You had to click to play it.
Hope you managed to work it out and got to hear it.
Al
alunparry - February 21, 2015 @ 12:05 am
Hi Steve
You’re right it really is harrowing. Interesting that Kai says we had our own version of it here too. I’ll be going to that exhibition.
Al
alunparry - February 21, 2015 @ 12:07 am
Hi John
Thanks for the feedback.
I particularly like writing about these untold stories. Whenever there’s a great story that isn’t known about, song plays an important part in spreading the word.
It was Gabi who spotted the story, and it was great collaborating with her on this.
Al
Devils Advocate - February 24, 2015 @ 2:43 pm
SteveRigby – dont get ‘religion’ mixed up with ‘religious organisations’ here – there is nothing wrong with faith in God etc…. There is a saying that states “the closer one is to the Church, the further one is away from God”. As for Political intervention and/or collusion in the Church, one has to remember that there was a time when the Church WERE a nations politics – so, I reiterate that Religious Organisations (and Political Organisations) are the real enemies here NOT religion itself….